How can I get my dog to fetch and come when called in the backyard?

If there are a lot of distractions in the yard it may be better to go in some kind of an enclosed pen. You could also work on a command like 'look at me' or something similar where she makes eye contact with you inside and then practice outside. If she is wandering off you may also want to consider simply having her on a long lead when she's out in the yard - that way you can draw her towards you to get her attention and begin training again. Keep in mind that younger dogs do better with more frequent, shorter training sessions since their attention span may not be as long as an older dog.

This is a common problem for many dogs! For starters, I would recommend not letting her off-leash until you have worked on her training a bit more - you can use a long line (a long, light-weight leash up to 50 feet long) to give her some freedom at the park while still having her under control. To teach her to come, first practice at home in a very boring environment. Use very tasty treats that she doesn't get any other time - things like chicken, roast beef, or cheese work well for many dogs. Call her name, and say "come!" in an excited voice. In the beginning, you can also show her the treats if you need to. As soon as she comes to you, give her a handful of treats and lots of praise. When she can do this in the house, try it outside in your yard on-leash. Work up to practicing at the park on her long line, always making sure that you have yummy treats to reward her with. Once she's reliable, you can begin letting her off-leash for short periods, as long as she always comes back for her treat when you call her.

Use a long lead and trained her anew to come when called. Pay out short distances initially and call her. If she doesn't come, gently begin reeling her in. Praise and reward her when she complies. Allow her longer and longer distances as she progresses. Do not let her off leash until she is consistently returning when called. Be firm, be consistent and be patient.

That is quite tricky. What you need to do it work on developing a "bullet proof" recall ("come" command) first instead the house, then inside the gate, then outside the gate on a leash, then outside the gate without a leash. At the same time, you need to work on impulse control and general attentiveness, again starting inside and taking it outside. I would highly highly recommend working with a qualified trainer on this, it's possible to do on your own, but will be hard enough with an experienced helper. Good luck!

By all means,reward him when he comes back. Whenever you praise or scold a dog, the behavior you are actually praising/scolding is what's happening RIGHT NOW, not what he did a minute or an hour ago. If he gets out, do not go after or chase him, as it becomes a game. He won't come when you call him unless he has been specifically trained to do so. In other words, the "come" command means nothing to him if he has not been taught it. I would suggest that you get a better closing mechanism for the gate. I would also enroll Stitch in a good basic obedience class, where you can learn how to teach a dog commands. This is not a matter of his being a smart or stupid dog. He doesn't understand what you want, and you need to work with a professional to know how to help him to "get it." Good luck!

In the beginning, pets come to their owners because they are in a new environment, and the human is their source of food, water, treats, pets, etc. Once they become more comfortable, they notice that there's a whole big world out there, and you are not so unique anymore. So they don't come running just because they're called. As with any othercommand or behavior, they have to be taught to come. Put Ricky on a leash and have him sit. Standin front of him and tell him to stay (this may take some practrice before he'll actually remain in place). Go to the end of the leash, wait a few seconds, and then call "Ricky, come!" (Not "come, Ricky'--there is a difference!) If he starts to come before you've called him, or even finished calling him, say "no" and put him back into a sit. If he waits until you've called and he comes, praise him! If he doesn't move, give a very gentle tug on the leash after you've called and encourage him to come. Once he is very reliable, start running backwards as he's coming towards you, to increase the distance. When you're ready to take the leash off (after he does it right every single time), put him in your smallest bathroom with you and close the door. Do the same thing as above. If he doesn't come or wanders around because he's not ont he leash, you can easily get him and correct him. As he progresses, you can move to larger rooms or the garage. DO not try this outdoors until you are absolutely sure he will come. If he does not, and you cannot correct him because he is out of reach, it will set your training way back. Good luck with this!

Yes, this is normal. Ella is checking out all the smells in your garden, and if there have been visitors to your garden like neighborhood cats, that smell will attract her attention. You can start training her to come when you call her, and I will put a link below on how to do this. I hope this helps! https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/basic-training/teach-dog-to-come-when-called/